Communication isn’t all talk, talk, talk. Body language refers to the nonverbal signals. They can be subtle or overt, conscious or unconscious, but all humans give off messages without speaking. These signals make up a huge part of a conversation, some scientists estimate at least ninety percent of the data exchanged between two participants is in the form of nonverbal communication. For a writer, body language can offer hints to a character’s inner turmoil or beliefs without having to spell it out. Body language can subvert the evil of “telling” an over explanation by showing what a character is thinking.
Types of Body Language
Since most people focus on faces in a conversation, expressions convey a huge amount of information. This information can vary sharply depending on a slight variation in facial muscles. For instance, you don’t need to tell the reader a character is happy if they have a “eyes crinkled at the corners and a beaming smile”. Using the same two focal points of eyes and mouth, anger is present when those same eyes narrow and lips are now stretched across a tight smile.
Eyes are an important focal point. Normal, steady eye contact signals a person is truthful and is trustworthy. An inability to maintain eye contact, send up warning signals to the reader of lies or deception. Blinking can communication something irritating the eye but also surprise or shiftiness.
Gestures
Deliberate movements and signals pass information without words. Interesting enough, the same facial expressions for happiness, sadness, anger, and fear are similar throughout the world, but gestures can vary widely in meaning. A circled thumb and forefinger means “Okay” here, but in Brazil it refers to a certain body opening that best’s left unmentioned. For a writer, think how gestures can be incorporated into a scene. They often include hands. A girl impatiently waits for a boy. The author doesn’t need to tell the reader her growing annoyance as she paces and constantly checks her phone. They’ll get the message.
Paralinguistics
Paralinguistics is vocal communication separate from actual language such as tone, loudness, inflection, and pitch. The same voice can rise and fall, become shrill or raspy, stutter or blurt depending on the emotional state of the character. A change in tone can change the meaning of a sentence. If a person asks “How are you feeling?” and the answer is “Okay” but the voice is tight, dry, and shaky then something is up.
Posture takes in the whole body, so when writing a scene where you wish to convey a particular emotion don’t stop at facial features, but envision the complete character. Brighter feeling such as happiness tend to cause more open postures; shoulders up, arms wide or out. Darker feeling such as sadness or anger have more closed, stiff postures, with clenched hands or arms kept tight to the body.
Proxemics
Proxemics is personal space, distance need to feel comfortable with another. It’s influenced by factors social norms, culture, but also has a situational aspect. Two people attacked to each other will move together. Two people repelled will move apart. An aggressive person will move forward and threatened person will back away.
Haptic is communication through touch is another important nonverbal behavior. A simple tap on the shoulder conveys sympathy in one instance and an uncomfortable invasion of personal space depending on the situation and the power differential between two characters. Women tend to use touch to convey care, concern, and nurturance while men are more likely to use touch to assert power or control over others.
Appearance
Appearance and clothing also convey nonverbal communication and can be used to define characters. A shy person is unlikely to shave half her head and dress in bold, bright colors to attract attention. Appearances affect physiological reactions, judgments, and interpretations from others. Call it “The Cinderella Effect.” Not even her stepmother at the ball recognized her and all she did was take a bath and slip on a new outfit. Clothing can relay tons of information about character. Loose clothing vs. stiletto heels, tailored suits vs. denim. The choices authors make in a characters outward appearance can give subtle clues to inner thought and desires.
When to Add Body Language
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